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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pop — music
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. clip — to cut
  7. suit — in cards
  8. clip — for paper
  9. pop — soda
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. lean — thin
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. suit — clothes
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. suit — to fit
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. clip — a video

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com